Still Having CW TX Dropout on my 6400M with v. 3.3.29

schacterfoto

Wasn't the new firmware supposed to fix the longstanding problem with CW transmit dropout? I am still having this problem. My sense is that it is happening less often now than before the upgrade, but still often enough to be very annoying. FlexRadio, when are you going to fix this problem once and for all?

Pete La

Flex Radio is too busy making money elsewhere. They no longer apply the resources to amateur radio like they used to. They take way too long to fix exsiting problems and do virtually nothing to add new features to the radio (the new software = new radio pitch is a scam). Don't get me wrong, Flex Radios are very good and are hard to beat for remotability,, but the company is not living up to its hype and there is a lot of room for improvement in the software. I just don't think they really care about the ham community when they are making so much money off the government. I had a choice betwee the IC-7610, FTdx-101D and the Flex 6400M and I wish I had gone with the Yaesu. Pete K1OYQ

Ted S

Hmmmm,

I am using a Flex 6400, non M, still on 3.2.39. I run 90% CW, about 200 Qs per week. I have tried to replicate this bug using all kinds of methods. I even hooked up an external HP pulse generator to generate all sorts of keying waveforms with simulated key bounce, etc all under controlled conditions. I use a multi channel DSO to monitor both the RF waveform and the keying waveform. I have never been able to get the radio to reproduce this fault, seems like a real mystery.

The CW bug I do experience is that the RF waveform starts to studder and drop elements if it is powered up continuously for about 72 hours. I can reproduce this bug every time. According to the release notes 3.3.39 is supposed to fix that bug but I am waiting on a backup SD card before I complete that upgrade.

schacterfoto

Thanks Ted. I am 100% CW and my level of activity is similar to yours. The dropout occurs at least once in about 50% of QSOs.

K1ESE

The frequency of the dropouts seems to be connected to the Delay setting on the P/CW settings panel of SmartSDR. If I set it at 400 I easily get the transmitter to stop sending for a short period. During that period anything I have keyed has been lost or "dropped out". Shorter Delay settings may make the dropout shorter so that only a letter or less is dropped.

I have a Help Desk ticket in and am hoping for a quick solution.

K1ESE

Pete La

I'm now getting lots of dropouts on SSB and on FT-8 since installing the new software version 3.3.29. I have a 6400M. I can't figure out why I'm having all these dropouts. On SSB the transmit will dropout between words as I am talking. On FT-8 it sometimes fails to transmit when I double click on a new contact, but it will transmit the second time. I've tried hard reset with no luck. I'm not impressed with the 3.3.29 update. I seem to be having issues that weren't there before.

Lasse SM5GLC

Setting shorter transmitter hang-time was the previous solution. As the transmitter power magically turned to zero, a cycle over to RX and then back to transmit would bring back the transmitted power. Having very short hang time would allow RX in between word or even letters i.e. assuring no more than letter or word would be lost.

Sounds like the root cause is still there :( BTW 2.4.10 still works great, only missing the remote stuff, which can be fixed using VPN. Just say'n :)

Mike-VA3MW

@Pete La If you can do an A / B test by going back to 3.2 and then back to 3.3 (reset the radio each time) and you get drop outs, that would be a good data point.

Open a helpdesk ticket so that it gets tracked correctly please. Not everyone is seeing this, so it helps to understand why you are.

Helpdesk

Ted S

Follow up to my first post, Although I normally run QSK, 0 delay, I recall setting some long delays up to a second and still not being able to reproduce. My 6400 has a Jan 2021 SN. Perhaps the issue is dependent on HW and revision.

Ted, WR4T

Uwe - DK3WW

Hello,

I have this TX drop out problem since I own my F6600 (2019). A ticket didn't help either. (Ticket 44047) It's really annoying, especially in a contest. It is incomprehensible that such a serious error has existed for so long and has not been corrected. The same applies to the noise blanker, which still works very poorly.

73!

Uwe - DK3WW

Mal G3PDH

Since installing the latest v3 software 3.3.29 (and new SD card) I have been carefully monitoring the CW performance having previously experienced the CW drop out problem. Sadly, I have to report that I have since had two instances of the CW drop out albeit very infrequent but still annoying when it happens. It is almost impossible to recreate on demand thus remains very obscure. It has never happened when the radio is keyed by a macro from N1MM and only seems to be when using any manual based form of keying from straight key, internal keyer or as in my case keying from an external keyer connected via the acc socket.

My set up is a 6500 and Maestro working with a PC running regularly updated Windows 10

How on earth is this problem going to be fixed as it has been around now for some 3 years. If software version 2.4.10 does not have the problem surely the software team can determine what has changed since then? To reiterate, the CW RF power output drops to zero during transmission and is restored by allowing the PTT to drop into RX and then resumed upon start of transmission again. Whilst the temporary remedy is to use a very low or zero PTT delay I do not prefer to operate in that way, particularly when using a linear amp.

This bug is the only real downside to what is a good radio although it would be nice to see further user improvements released.

Mal G3PDH

Roger G3LDI

I am still on Version 2.4.10 for that very reason and have been for a very long time. It is a shame that nothing has been done to rectify such an important problem to those using CW. I can only assume that there are no CW people involved in the software development and that Flex assumes everybody is mad on remote operation only.

To be frank, it's a great radio, but unfit for purpose.

PLEASE show some action on this problem that we have had for over 3 years now.

73 de Roger, G3LDI

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Roger,

A CW only op here and still on V2.4.10 for another reason. Waiting for the Profile AutoSave ON/OFF switch but would not want to move up to V3.x if there are CW issues. I don't need or would use any of the other features of V3 but would upgrade to support Flex if there weren't these other issues.

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

al (at) nn4zz (dot) com

6700 Win10 Pro V2004 -- SSDR V2.4.10

Erik Carling EI4KF

Maybe, as previously stated, a hardware revision along the way has fixed this. I operate CW every day, never had this issue, did have another issue pre-3.3.29 but now no issues at all. My radio was new summer 2021.

Mike-VA3MW

3.3.32 was released today. You may want to give it a try.

73

Ted S

Likewise, I have never been able to replicate this bug on a late model, Jan 2021 6400, I run 90% CW, weekly CWTs, etc. Have close to 20k CW contacts on the 6400.

I am still on 3.2.39 plan to upgrade soon. If I can ever replicate, I will be sure to post.

Ted, WR4T

Uwe - DK3WW

Hello,

In version 3.3.32 the problem persists.

Why should it be a hardware problem if it doesn't exist under 2.4.10? What hardware differences existing between 2019 and 2021? My radio is an F6600 and I've had this problem for almost 4 years now. Together with the poorly functioning noise blanker, this is a miserable state for a "high-quality" device.

In the August news letter from the CEO, Matt Youngblood, there was not a single word about SSDR, troubleshooting and evolution...

We keep waiting and waiting.

73! Uwe

DK3WW

Erik Carling EI4KF

This CW debate aside, on the subject of the news letter that Uwe mentions it certainly was bizarre. Mr Youngblood addresses 'Our Valued Customers' but then only summarises the situation for prospective purchasers. Not a word for actual customers and, as Uwe says, nothing about SSDR. The letter is, just a few hours after release, already a taking point on at least one forum here in EU with not a good word said about it.

When you consider that ham radio is a communication hobby, it seems somewhat obtuse to have our favorite manufacturer communicate so badly.

Roger G3LDI

And here we are, over a year later, a new version, 2.9.1 which cured all the problems, CW addressed and other things like Pure Signal, Noise mitigation, and so on - I wish!! I updated and first time of use found the CW drop out still there. Actually, being intermittent, I cannot see this problem every being solved. I wish I had stayed with 2.4.10 now. A local friend has now gone over to using his K4 on CW, more reliable.

73 de Roger, G3LDI